By Sheila S. Blanchette, IAABC-CPBC, Director of Education, Rhode Island Parrot Rescue

In my blog, we started our discussion around companion bird the purpose of vocalization. Before moving into the purpose of specific vocalization, I would like to take a little detour and discuss Anthropomorphism. Ant-throw-po-morph-ism is a mouthful of a word, and is defined in the Webster Dictionary as “the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.”[i] Anthropomorphism can be seen in our day to day lives through social media, television, cartoons, movies, and, maybe, when we are talking with our own animals. An example of anthropomorphism is Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse is an upright mouse dressed up in human clothes and talks. Mickey Mouse is an anthropomorphic image of a mouse to aid with fun at Disney Parks.

“Although individuals are unlikely to truly believe that anthropomorphized animals are actually human, anthropomorphism may trigger innate tendencies to treat them as if they were. This possibility is consistent with a growing body of literature that suggests that anthropomorphism alters the ways in which people perceive, interact with, and respond to non-human entities.” [ii]

With the example of Mickey Mouse, if an adult person is at the Disney Parks, they do not expect a wild mouse to stop by their feet and tell them about a secret passage to beat the lines to a ride.

Anthropomorphism can create support

By Anthropomorphize our animals to ‘human like’ beings, this does create compassion to improve animal welfare such as the reference of a pet from a ‘property item’ to a ‘living creature with emotions or sentinel beings’.

Many of us with companion animals denote how important these animals are to our life, Mental or Emotional Support. These animals bring us a sense of purpose and we are willing to protect their wellbeing. In the movie “The Secret Life of Pets”, the anthropomorphic animals talk to each other in a human language discussing their lives and their relationship with their human. We want that deep connection with our animals; we may even refer to ourselves as “Pet Parents”. Those with companion birds may refer to their birds as “feathered kids” or “fids”. We may even celebrate their birthdays, set a plate at the dinner table for them, or dress them up in human clothes. They have become such an integral part of the family; they are included in family photos or family holiday cards. “Pets do not just substitute for human relationships. They complement and augment them. They add a new and unique dimension to human social life.”[iii]

Is there anything wrong with anthropomorphism?

Dr. Patricia Anderson noted “there is an assumption that our companion animal’s interaction and perception of the world is comprehended the same way as a human.”[iv] The misinterpreted reasoning for the behavior can be proliferated through social media with the increase postings of animal shaming, animal memes, and videos of human speculating the reason for the anima’s behavior. The more the belief is seen on social media, the likelihood that a confirmation bias is developed. “Confirmation bias happens when a person gives more weight to evidence that confirms their beliefs and undervalues evidence that could disprove it.”[v]

Companion birds have become popular because of their ability to talk and they can do specific behaviors. Those that have companion birds will express their connection with their bird(s). “The owner-bird relationship was found to involve four dimensions: the tendency of the owner to anthropomorphize the bird; the social support the owner receives from the bird; the empathy, attentiveness, and respect of the owner toward the bird; and the relationship of the bird toward the owner.”[vi]

Companion parrots’ genetics are not far off from their wild counterparts. Wild parrots’ environment is ever changing. Wild parrots are continuously searching for food, water, and safety. Wild parrots can fly away from dangerous situations. When looking at our companion birds’ environment, there may be minimal environment changes: food and water can easily be found in the same position in a cage or enclosed area, the bird may never see the same species in the environment and may never learn to forage for food. Our companion birds do not always have the ability to escape fearful situations. Undesired behaviors can be learned by these situations: Opening beak, charging, and biting. Anthropomorphic labels become assigned to companion bird’s when these undesired behaviors occur, such as “Vampire Attack Bird”, “Bad Bird”, “Killer Bird”.

When a companion bird does undesired behavior, the person takes the unexpected behavior personally and yells at the bird. A person may remark “I cannot add a new toy to the cage, because I get the vampire attack bird. I have no idea what is wrong with my bird. I tell the bird to get over it, it’s just a new toy.” These confirmation biases on undesired behavior can lead people in believing there are no solutions (it is what it is). In these situations, the anthropomorphic behaviors could lead a companion bird to be rehomed.

The following are some anthropomorphic labels that could contribute to misunderstood behavior:

Anthropomorphic Labels:

Dominance

The Dominance term may have been picked up from an outdated dog term which has been incorrectly incorporated into the bird world.

Examples of this term:

**Figure 1: Anthropomorphism: Dominate Bird**

“My bird flies up to the top of the curtains and will not step up on me when I ask. He is not stepping up because he is proving he is the dominant one.”

“When my bird is on top of the cage, he is telling me who is boss. He is trying to be the dominant one, so I just stand there to show him who is the boss. If that does not work, I move the cage to the floor, so he knows that I am the boss.”

This term appears to be associated when the companion bird does not immediately do a command, or when the bird is at a height higher than the person. According to Steve Martin(2020) “Parrots have no natural inclination to form a dominance hierarchy with other parrots in the wild, or with humans in captivity. Parrots may be moved to show aggression for many different reasons when they are higher than human eye level. However, the desire to dominate should not be considered as one of those reasons”[vii]

Dominance is just a label that incorrectly justifies why the companion bird is not doing a specific behavior. Our companion birds are not plotting to take over the human population.

Aggression

The Aggression term may incorporate a bird’s behavior related to an open beak, biting down and breaking skin, or charging at a person while on the cage, or in the cage, or on the floor. Examples of this term being used are:

“When I try to let my conure out of the cage, he is so cage aggressive I stopped letting him out of the cage.”

“My cockatiel is so aggressive when I ask him to step up on my hand.”

Companion birds are not born aggressive. Our companion birds display different behavior when they feel threatened or insecure in the situation. The companion bird may step back, eyes may dilate (pinned), or move to the back of the cage to denote apprehension.

Without learning your bird’s comfort level, and body motions, you could be teaching your bird the undesired behaviors. If you look at the situation of when a hand is introduced into a cage. The companion bird’s eyes may pin (dilate), the bird may move away from the hand, or vocalize. If the hand continues to be forced upon the companion bird in the cage, and the bird has no opportunity to escape, the bird will try any behavior to have that hand removed from the environment which could include showing an open beak or biting the hand. Once the first bite happens, the hand is removed. The bird has learned a behavior to remove the frightening object. Through the eyes of the person, the person may start to label the bird ‘aggressive’ and lose trust in the bird. This label could stay with the bird for a lifetime, even if the bird never bites again.

Companion birds are not violent. Companion birds are prey animals and can learn fear or phobias. We need to step back, review the environment conditions, and OUR behavior. There is always a purpose to a companion birds’ behavior.

Building Trust

For many of us, our companion birds give us emotional and physical support. When speaking of anthropomorphism, this is not to diminish their character or our care for them. “Using anthropomorphic language does not have to discount the animals’ point of view.’[viii]

We just need to remember that companion birds are not dogs or cats. Our human-avian relationship goal should be creating a mutual trusting partnership.

“To get your relationship back in the black, reframe the way you think about problem behaviors. They really aren’t caused by dominance, stubbornness or any other abstract concept. Problem behaviors arise when a parrot lacks the skills, the motivation or the positive practice to do the right behavior.”[ix]

When a bird is not choosing to do a specific behavior, this is a training opportunity to review. If the companion bird is not stepping up, or recalling to you, then review the environment and create a smaller incremental step towards the training sessions for more successful lessons that increases consistent behavior.You can change your behavior by taking the time to understand your bird’s behavior, and avoiding force or pushing your bird into an uncomfortable situation. If you take the time to train using a force free/choice methodology and training at your bird’s pace, a wonderful human-avian bond and trust can be created.

“To understand behavior, our main focus should be on observable behavior, not vague labels or intangible constructs. Be aware that information is exchanged in every interaction we have with animals; thus, every interaction is a teaching opportunity. Next time you walk up to an animal, consider carefully what you want it to learn about you.”[x]

If you have trouble understanding the purpose of your companion bird behavior, reach out to those professionals in the field: Animal Behaviorist, Animal Trainers, or Certified Parrot Behavior Consultants/Trainers. If you have a dog with a behavior issue, you would reach out to a dog trainer. There are professional companion bird consultants out there to offer assistance to explain behavior and dissolve those anthropomorphic labels.

References:

[i] Webster Dictionary

[ii] Butterfield, Max E, Hill, Sarah E, Lord, Charles G. 2012. Mangy Mutt or furry friend? Anthropomorphism promotes Animal Welfare. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 957-960

[iii] Serpell, James A. 1996[1986]. In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationship. Cambridge University Press, p 143.

[iv] Anderson, Dr. Patricia. 2016. The Human-Avian Bond, IAABC Journal (https://iaabcjournal.org/human-avian-bond/)

[v] Noor, I. 2020, June. Confirmation bias. Simply Psychology.

[vi] Burmeister, Anne-Kathrin, Drasch, Katrin, Rinder,Monika, Prechsl, Sebastian, Perschel, Andrea, Korbel, Rüdiger and Saam, Nicole J. 2020. Development and Application of the Owner-Bird Relationship Scale (OBRS) to Assess the Relation of Humans to Their Pet Birds. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7:575221

[vii] Martin, Steve. 2020. Understanding Parrot Behavior, Naturally. Natural Encounters (https://naturalencounters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Anatomy_of_Parrot_Behavior-Steve_Martin.pdf)

[viii] Bekoff. Marc. 2001. The Evolution of Animal Play, Emotions, and Social Morality: On Science, Theology, Spiritual, Personhood, and Love. Journal of Religion & Science. Volume 36 Issue 4

[ix] Friedman, Susan Dr. 2012. Back in the Black - Rebuild a bankrupt relationship. Bird Talk September 2012

[x] Friedman, Susan Dr. August 2010. P-A-R-R-O-T do Tell! Best Practices for Teaching Animals. PsittaScene. P17

Copyrighted. Blog posts may be used as guidelines for the proper care of your parrot. Not intended for medical or legal advice. Please consult with a licensed avian veterinarian regarding the medical care and wellbeing of your exotic pets.

Focus: Anthropomorphism